The Light of Alkashi, Chapter One

She sat tending her nails intently, filing and cleaning, she was a special young girl in an ordinary family in Alkashi, living at the edge of The Lights Forest, but she has kept being special a secret from the world… A sudden rap on the door pulled her attention away from her nails and on the door. "It’s open." Louise Collet said with a volatile tone in her voice. "I just came to make sure you’re not doing anything that will be getting you into more trouble, you know you shouldn’t have been hanging around the edges of the forest, anyway, I hope I’m not bothering you little sister." The boy said with a tone that scratched at Louise’s nerves. "No, you’re not bothering me, I’m just about to kick you out for no reason so go fuss over someone else, so I can carry on with what I was doing please Jazzier, you big bully" There was no insult in the words so he fussed a bit and always reminded her about things that she wouldn’t forget but he’d remind her anyway, he was her big brother he was entitled to fuss and get just a little protective he wasn’t a bully well not a big one. "Are you going to stay in here by yourself? Or are you going to come downstairs with me for awhile, because I’m getting bored and I don’t like fiddling with my nails…" Jazzier asked "why don’t you go pester papa or mama, or even Tarlise, I’m busy ‘fiddling’ with my nails. And plus I have to stay in this drawing room or in my room." Louis said with impatience. "Little sister you are so boring sometimes, and you know you wouldn’t be stuck here if you didn’t go so close to the edge of The Lights Forest, its dangerous and mama just didn’t want you getting hurt, but fine I’ll go play with Tarlise, she won’t mind." Jazzier said. "That’s because she’s three summers old she won’t be able to tell you your annoying until she’s at least 5" Louise replied tartly, turning her attention back onto her nails. Jazzier walked out of the room without bothering to shut the door behind him.

"Why does he always have to be such a bother?" Louise growled as she faced the door and with no more than a thought, shut the door and locked it.

Louise had heard about the women who have been found guilty of "witch craft" how they were executed for their wrong doings to the land and people, any form of magic is forbidden in Alkashi and was pronounced devils work. But Louise was not frightened of anyone finding out about her. She was a gentry girl of 14 summers, with dark blond hair that flows half way down her back, eyes like a smokey green crystals, the barons daughter, she’s the girl who is invited to nearly every ball in her country and declines politely to nearly every one, if it involves large sums of gentry and being fawned over. She was the silent middle child, how could anyone think she was a witch? But if they didn’t, they would be wrong. She loved to read and slip away to The Lights Forest, the sacred land that no one was able to go in and come back out, except her. The Lights Forest held many creatures and was filled with many secrets. The reason of why such a dangerous place was named The Lights Forest was lost to the lands people, the Light was meant to be a being who would protect the land and all who inhabited it. Louise only knew she was and always will be accepted as who and what she is in that place of undiluted beauty and wonder. Louise found comfort in that place where her heart sang to the land and the land sang back, where nothing would harm her and everything protected her. The world outside the forest was nothing but people and their ambitions, where the land is paved and where she felt confined, like she had been placed in a cage with her wings clipped, to provide minimal freedom. Knowing her papa would be checking on her soon she reminded herself to wait just a little longer, to be patient, as soon as he saw her and sent her to bed early -again- she will be able to escape her cage and run through the early evening deep into The Lights Forest, and play with the twilight creatures.